Saturday, March 29, 2014

This is a post about a really new and FREE Mobile App for designing, maintaining, and installing a Rain Garden.

In the world of Master Gardeners, Rain Gardens are a hot topic, but I realize that lots of people have not yet heard of this trend. The concept is a pretty simple one, and a Rain Garden can be beautiful as well as functional.

A Rain Garden is a depression in the ground that collects stormwater runoff from a roof, driveway or yard and allows it to filter into the ground. A well-conceived rain garden can add color and interest to a property.

What Is Its Purpose?

When it rains, water runs off impervious (impenetrable) surfaces (like pavement and roofs), collecting pollutants on its way to the sewer system. This runoff eventually ends up in nearby waterways. By building a rain garden at your home, you can reduce the amount of pollutants that leave your property.

Usually rain gardens are planted with shrubs and perennials. To be successful they must be correctly sized and placed, dug to the proper depth in the proper soil, planted with the correct plants, and well maintained.

For some examples, check out the slideshow of projects in CT at the top of this page on the UConn NEMO website.

If a Rain Garden project sounds a bit daunting, have no fear! Help is now as close as your smartphone. The free Rain Garden App, developed by UConn’s CT NEMO, is now available for download at the Apple AppStore and for Android at the Google Play Store.

If you don’t have a smartphone, don’t despair. Check out the NEMO Rain Garden site. You will find all the tools you need right there.

Have fun. Have a good weekend, and come back again soon.

Why Saturday Short Subjects? Some readers may recall being dropped at the movie theater for the Saturday matinee — two action-packed feature films with a series of short subjects (cartoons or short movies, sometimes a serial cliffhanger) sandwiched in between. Often the short subjects were the most memorable, and enjoyable, part of the morning. That explains the name. The reason behind these particular posts is that we are all short on time. My Short Subject posts should not take me as long to write or you as long to read (or try).